Magnetocaloric effect of (Tb1–xCex)Co2 alloys in low magnetic field

The phases in alloys (Tb1–xCex)Co2 with x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, and the magnetocaloric effect for x=0–0.4 was studied by magnetization measurement. The samples were almost single phase with MgCu2-type cubic structure. The magnetization decreased with the increase of Ce. The Curie temperatures (Tc) of Tb1–xCexCo2 alloys with x from 0.1 to 0.4 were 180, 165, 160 and 152 K, respectively. For x=0.5 in the range from 100 K to 230 K, the point of magnetic transition was not obvious, and thus this article did not discuss the magnetocaloric effects for x=0.5. The maximum magnetic entropy change decreased with the increase of Ce content. The results of Arrott plots showed that the magnetic phase transition was second-order magnetic phase transition in those alloys.